Nationwide YouGov & SafetyCulture Survey Assesses Employee Reluctance to Speak to Supervisors & Coworkers About COVID-19 Safety Behavior in the Workplace

KANSAS CITY, Mo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SafetyCulture, the world’s leading platform for workplace safety and quality, has released findings detailing workers’ likelihood to speak up about COVID-19 safety in US workplaces. More than one in four males (27%) and only one in five females (20%) who will be returning to their place of work are unlikely to ask a colleague or boss to put on a mask, wash their hands or distance themselves, according to the national survey conducted by YouGov and SafetyCulture of over 2,500 adults*.

Millennials are most likely to comment on safety concerns and measures over Gen Z, Gen X, and Baby Boomers. When it comes to work meetings, more than one in five (22%) are unlikely to speak up if the room is deemed overcapacity.

Although October 2020 was a month of frightening COVID-19 records, over eight in 10 (81%) of these workers are confident that their workplace has or will take the appropriate actions to put safety checks in place for a safe return to the office.

Key findings from the survey also include:

  • More than one in five (21%) are unlikely to wear a mask for an entire day at work
  • Only 17% of Millennials are unlikely to wear a mask for the full day compared to 31% of Baby Boomers
  • 17% are not confident that colleagues will stay home if they show signs of COVID-19
  • 15% admit they are unlikely to social distance from others in the workplace, with 16% of Boomers not complying with social distancing

Safe workplaces will win the war for talent

The majority of these workers agree that their trust and confidence in a workplace would increase with certain safety measures put in place, including:

  • Temperature check protocols upon entry (55%)
  • Social distancing protocols which are monitored and enforced (59%)
  • A real-time list of thorough cleaning and disinfecting activities being completed regularly, throughout the day for high traffic areas (60%)
  • Readily available mask and hand sanitizer supplies available for free with their use being enforced in all areas of the workplace (63%)

Bob Butler, General Manager, Americas, SafetyCulture, cautions against a top-down approach to safety in workplaces:

“Companies which will survive and thrive today are those which proactively lean into challenges, encourage employee feedback, and take ownership of risks. They build visibility across their workplace through real-time data capture, and they empower all workers to have a voice when it comes to safety.

“Organizations must actively encourage employees of all levels to speak up when something raises a concern in the workplace. Everyone needs to take responsibility to create a genuine culture of safety, from the frontline to senior management. One way of doing this is by investing in the right tools that enable employees to be the eyes and ears of the organization,” Butler said.

To help businesses prepare for 2021, SafetyCulture is bringing together an international lineup of high profile personalities to reveal key lessons targeted to business operators for a free virtual event: SafetyCulture Summit 2020: From Surviving to Thriving. The November 18 event will explore adaptation and innovation and how businesses can capitalize on recent shifts in business operations to grow rapidly into 2021.

Last month, SafetyCulture partnered with the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) to raise safety standards across US workplaces. The partnership will support 300,000 HR and business leaders to effectively manage risk in the face of COVID-19. Already, more than 75,000 people worldwide are using SafetyCulture’s iAuditor app to complete daily COVID-19 inspections.

In August, iAuditor was announced as ‘Best SaaS (Software as a Service) for Health and Safety or Risk Management’ in the international 2020 SaaS Awards, which celebrate excellence in software.

*Methodology: This survey has been conducted using an online interview administered to members of the YouGov Plc panel of individuals who have agreed to take part in surveys. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The total sample size was 2578 adults, 802 of which were employed adults who are or will be returning to their place of work. Fieldwork was undertaken between 23rd – 27th October 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18+).

About SafetyCulture

SafetyCulture is a global technology company that supports businesses to do their best work every day. Its adaptive, mobile-first products help to streamline operations and foster high performing, safer workplaces. Its flagship product, iAuditor, is used by more than 26,000 organizations in nearly every industry to optimize processes and performance. The technology empowers teams to perform checks, report issues, collect on-the-ground data, and communicate fluidly. In 2020, iAuditor was named winner of Best SaaS for Health and Safety or Risk Management at the SaaS Awards.

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Alissa Neil | Alissa@alissaneilpr.com | (917) 328-4889